made her want to do whatever he said. She didn’t want to make him angry, so she willed herself to act calm as she thought out an escape route. Just one big lunge and she could make it to the door and run as fast as she could. What would she do once she opened the door, though? Where would she go? She didn’t even know where she was.
80
Jenika Snow
“Go ahead then.” Her voice was raised, but she made herself appear calm.
“Everything I’m about to tell you will seem like a fairy tale, but it is all the truth, whether you accept it or not.” He ran his hand through his hair and looked down for a minute before bringing his eyes back to hers. “My name is Aleksei Draukowski. I am a Blood Breed of the royal blood line—the King of my kind. My kind originally came from Russia, but as times progressed, families branched out to different countries. We are not too different from your species, although our differences are quite grand.”
“What kind of differences?” She was surprised she was able to sound calm. This was an absurd conversation she was having, and she should be running and screaming in the other direction.
“Well, for instance, we have gifts unique to each Blood Breed.
Mine, for instance, is that I am able to read minds—able to see a person’s whole existence in a matter of seconds.”
“Can you read my mind?” She didn’t know why, out of
everything he told her, that was the one question she wanted to be answered. Of course she didn’t believe him and his absurd story, but curiosity caught the better of her.
“Just snippets here and there, but I really have to be focusing to hear your thoughts, and even then I can’t always pick them up.”
“Huh, what else?” She sounded sarcastic. It was clear in her voice even if she hadn’t meant for him to hear. He looked at her, his face showing that same stoic expression he always held.
“Well, our life spans are immeasurable. We are faster, stronger, and our…diet is different. We require different nutrients to survive.
We are not able to tolerate sunlight, either.”
“Your diet is different? What do you mean you can’t tolerate sunlight?” Her hand flew to her neck as she waited for him to say what she already suspected.
“We drink blood. It gives us the required nutrients we need for our species to survive. As for the sun, it will kill us on contact.”
The Chosen: A Tale of the Blood Breed
81
“Blood?” She stared at him with shock, and even though she didn’t want to believe what he told her, the small wound on her neck told her otherwise. Forget the whole sunlight thing. He actually talked about drinking blood. People weren’t vampires, and they didn’t drink blood, not sane people, anyway. She was in a room with a crazy man, and she needed to get out right away. He continued talking as if this was all so normal, as if he had these conversations all the time.
“Our appearance alters when our emotions are at their strongest, although an older Blood Breed can control those changes. You saw that earlier.”
He stopped, as if he waited for her to respond. She waved her hand for him to continue, not trusting herself to speak calmly anymore.
“We also have what is called the Allure , it’s a gift all Blood Breed’s possess. It makes us irresistible to the opposite sex. Once in a lifetime, a female or male is created for a Blood Breed. We call them our Chosen . Fate chooses that person to complete us—to combine our lives and hearts together for all eternity.”
Why was he telling her these things? Why would she want to even know? Why was she even allowing him to continue talking about it?
“Lana, you are my Chosen . You are the one fate made for me. I have waited my whole life for you to be created.” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “The pull I had toward you didn’t make any sense. I thought it was just my blood lust, but when I had your soft, warm body under mine, and when I sank my
80
Jenika Snow
“Go ahead then.” Her voice was raised, but she made herself appear calm.
“Everything I’m about to tell you will seem like a fairy tale, but it is all the truth, whether you accept it or not.” He ran his hand through his hair and looked down for a minute before bringing his eyes back to hers. “My name is Aleksei Draukowski. I am a Blood Breed of the royal blood line—the King of my kind. My kind originally came from Russia, but as times progressed, families branched out to different countries. We are not too different from your species, although our differences are quite grand.”
“What kind of differences?” She was surprised she was able to sound calm. This was an absurd conversation she was having, and she should be running and screaming in the other direction.
“Well, for instance, we have gifts unique to each Blood Breed.
Mine, for instance, is that I am able to read minds—able to see a person’s whole existence in a matter of seconds.”
“Can you read my mind?” She didn’t know why, out of
everything he told her, that was the one question she wanted to be answered. Of course she didn’t believe him and his absurd story, but curiosity caught the better of her.
“Just snippets here and there, but I really have to be focusing to hear your thoughts, and even then I can’t always pick them up.”
“Huh, what else?” She sounded sarcastic. It was clear in her voice even if she hadn’t meant for him to hear. He looked at her, his face showing that same stoic expression he always held.
“Well, our life spans are immeasurable. We are faster, stronger, and our…diet is different. We require different nutrients to survive.
We are not able to tolerate sunlight, either.”
“Your diet is different? What do you mean you can’t tolerate sunlight?” Her hand flew to her neck as she waited for him to say what she already suspected.
“We drink blood. It gives us the required nutrients we need for our species to survive. As for the sun, it will kill us on contact.”
The Chosen: A Tale of the Blood Breed
81
“Blood?” She stared at him with shock, and even though she didn’t want to believe what he told her, the small wound on her neck told her otherwise. Forget the whole sunlight thing. He actually talked about drinking blood. People weren’t vampires, and they didn’t drink blood, not sane people, anyway. She was in a room with a crazy man, and she needed to get out right away. He continued talking as if this was all so normal, as if he had these conversations all the time.
“Our appearance alters when our emotions are at their strongest, although an older Blood Breed can control those changes. You saw that earlier.”
He stopped, as if he waited for her to respond. She waved her hand for him to continue, not trusting herself to speak calmly anymore.
“We also have what is called the Allure , it’s a gift all Blood Breed’s possess. It makes us irresistible to the opposite sex. Once in a lifetime, a female or male is created for a Blood Breed. We call them our Chosen . Fate chooses that person to complete us—to combine our lives and hearts together for all eternity.”
Why was he telling her these things? Why would she want to even know? Why was she even allowing him to continue talking about it?
“Lana, you are my Chosen . You are the one fate made for me. I have waited my whole life for you to be created.” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “The pull I had toward you didn’t make any sense. I thought it was just my blood lust, but when I had your soft, warm body under mine, and when I sank my
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